Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal tests positive for COVID-19

January 12, 2021 18:19

Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said on Tuesday that she has tested positive for coronavirus after being locked down in a secured room at the US Capitol where several Republican lawmakers recklessly refused to wear masks in the moments after the January 6 attack.

"I just received a positive COVID-19 test result after being locked down in a secured room at the Capitol where several Republicans not only cruelly refused to wear a mask but recklessly mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one," 55-year-old Jayapal tweeted.

In a statement, Jayapal said she began quarantining immediately after the attack on the Capitol, fearing and foreseeing exactly what would occur given the number of maskless lawmakers sitting in the same room with her.

The duration in the room was multiple hours, she said.

"Too many Republicans have refused to take this pandemic and virus seriously, and in doing so, they endanger everyone around them," she said.

"Only hours after President (Donald) Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, our country, and our democracy, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemic, creating a superspreader event on top of a domestic terrorist attack," she added.

"While I am isolating per the Capitol Physician's instructions, I will continue to work to the best of my ability because the deep urgency of our many crises is paramount," she said.

Dr Brian Monahan, the Attending Physician of the US Congress, advised representatives and Congressional staff on Sunday that those in the secured room could have, "been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection."

-- PTI

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